Convertible waste disposal unit



1957 w. A. JOHNSTON CONVERTIBLE WASTE DISPOSAL UNIT Filed March 16, I965 FIG-4.

INVENTOR William A. Johnston ATTORNEY United States Patent C 3,344,997 CONVERTIBLE WASTE DISPOSAL UNIT William A. Johnston, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 440,132 6 Claims. (Cl. 241--101) ABSTRACT on THE DISCLOSURE A food waste disposal unit is rendered convertible from a temporary position of use above a sink to a permanent position of use beneath a sink. The unit has a lower body portion housing pulverizing means connected to a driven shaft having coupling means at each end for connection to a detachable drive motor. When used in the temporary position an upper body portion is mounted on the lower body portion for reception of waste material to be pulverized and the detachable motor is connected to the coupling means at the upper end of the shaft. Pulverized wastes are discharged from the lower body portion to the sink for discharge through the drain thereof. When used in the permanent position a second upper body portion replaces the first upper body portion and connects the lower body portion to the underside of the sink at its drain opening and the motor is connected beneath the lower body portion in driving relation to the lower coupling. The discharge from the lower body portion is connected with the sink drain pipe.

As is known, there are two general types of waste disposal units. One is the portable type, and the other is the permanent installation type. A portable type is adapted to rest within a conventional kitchen sink and discharges finely divided wastes into the sink drain opening. This type normally includes a hose connected to the faucet of a sink and provides thenecessary water for flushing the pulverized wastes out of the unit during its operation. The portable type of waste disposal unit normally is used as a batch feed machine.

The permanent installation type is installed beneath the sink and has its inlet end connected to the sink drain fixture and its outlet end connected to the waste drain pipe. That is, the disposal unit becomes a permanent part of the sink drain system and is used as a continuous feed machine.

It has long been desirable to have a convertible disposal unit which may be used above the sink as are the conventional portable units, or be converted for installation beneath the sink where it is used as is the conventional permanent installation-type disposal unit described above. Such a convertible waste disposal unit is ideal for individuals who are renting a home or an apartment and who subsequently purchase their own home. In the rented apartment or home, the convertible unit would be used as a portable unit and in the purchased home, the unit could be converted and permanently installed beneath the sink.

Accordingly, as an overall object, the present invention seeks to provide a convertible waste disposal unit which may be converted from a temporary position of use above the sink, wherein the pulverized wastes are discharged into the sink drain opening, to a permanent position of use beneath the sink wherein the unit forms a permanent part of the sink drain system.

Another object of the invention is to provide a convertible waste disposal unit having all the desirable features of a conventional portable waste disposal unit as well as all the desirable features of the conventional permanent installation-type waste disposal unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a conice vertible waste disposal unit which may be manufactured at low cost and hence place it within the financial reach of the average person.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a convertible waste disposal unit having a novel construction which permits the unit to be easily converted.

In accordance with the invention, a waste disposal unit is provided comprising a casing formed from an upper body portion detachably secured to a lower body portion, a waste inlet opening and a waste outlet opening in the upper body portion and the lower body portion respectively, a driven shaft rotatably supported in the lower body portion for driving pulverizing means disposed within the lower body portion, and coupling means at either end of the driven shaft for connection to a detachable drive motor.

When the convertible waste disposal unit of the invention is employed as a portable unit, the upper body portion comprises a cylindrical member having a relatively large volume and which is open at both of its ends. Connecting means are provided at the top of the cylindrical member for detachably securing the motor to the cylindrical member, the motor being coupled to the driven shaft. The motor may be easily detached so that a batch of waste material may be introduced into the interior of the unit and thereafter reattached to the unit.

When the convertible waste disposal unit of the invention is to be installed beneath the sink, the cylindrical member is replaced with a frustoconical member having a reduced upper end adapted to fit a standard sink drain mounting flange. The lower end of the frustoconical member is detachably secured to the lower body portion of the disposal unit; and the sink drain conduit is connected to the waste outlet opening in the lower body portion, the overall arrangement being such that the disposal unit now forms a permanent part of the sink drain system.

The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the internal construction of the present convertible waste disposal unit when used as a portable unit;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the top of the disposal unit as viewed from the line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IIIIII of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional sink illustrating the use of the present disposal unit in a temporary position of use above the sink;

FIG. 5 is a side view, partly in cross-section, illustrating an upper body portion which replaces that upper body portion shown in FIG. 1 when the convertible disposal unit is used in a permanent installation beneath a sink; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional sink wherein the present convertible waste disposal unit forms a part of the sink drain system.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a convertible waste disposal unit 10 is shown comprising a casing 12 formed from a cylindrical upper body portion 14 and a lower body portion 16. A plurality of fasteners 18 (only One visible) are provided, each of which extend through ribs 20 provided in the upper body portion 14 and are threaded into ribs 22 provided in the lower body portion 16. The fasteners 18 serve to detachably secure the upper body portion 14 to the lower body portion 16. An O-ring 24 is interposed between the abutted annular end faces 23a, 23b of the upper and lower body portions 14, 16 respectively to prevent discharge of fluids and waste materials from between the abutted faces 23a, 23b.

A driven shaft 26 is provided having a lower end portion 28 and an upper end portion 30. The lower end portion 28 extends through a central hub 32 projecting upwardly from a lower wall 34 of the lower body portion 16, and is rotatably supported therein by bushings 36 so that the driven shaft 26 is rotatable about its longitudinal axis. A seal member 38 is positioned at the upper end of the central hub 32 and surrounds the driven shaft 26 so as to prevent the discharge of fluids and waste materials past the lower end portion 28. The lower end portion 28 projects through the lower wall 34 and is secured in place by any conventional means such as a snap ring 40.

In the central portion of the driven shaft 26 there is provided a flange member 42 which rests on a washerlike bushing 44 interposed between the top of the central hub 32 and the flange member 42. Above the flange member 42 there is provided a threaded shaft portion 46 which receives a nut 48 for securing a disc member 50 to the driven shaft 26. A plurality of pulverizing members 52 are detachably secured to the disc member 50 preferably by means of bolts 54. The purpose for detachably securing the pulverizing members 52 to the disc member 50 will become apparent later in the specification. A shredder ring 56 is mounted on the inner wall of the lower body portion 16 and is provided with a plurality of diagonally downwardly inclined internal teeth 58 adapted to cooperate with the pulverizing members 52 for finely dividing or comminuting the waste material into minute particles which may be readily flushed out through a waste outlet opening 60 provided in the lower body portion 16.

The lower body portion 16 is provided with a plurality of mounting bosses 62 each having an internally threaded opening 64. The mounting bosses 62 are multi-purpose elements serving as pedestals upon which the unit will rest when used as a portable unit and as bosses to which a motor 66, shown in dotted outline, will be secured when the disposal unit is positioned beneath the sink and forms a permanent part of the sink drain system, as will be described.

The upper cylindrical body portion 14 is provided with radially inwardly extending annular flange 68 Whose inner peripheral edge defines a waste inlet opening 70 through which the waste material is introduced into the interior of the casing 12. A threaded water inlet opening 72 is provided in the side wall of the upper body portion 14 into which will be threaded a hose connector (not shown). The water inlet opening 72 communicates water through a conduit 74 into an annular groove 76 which in turn, distributes the water to a plurality of spray conduits 78 (only one is visible) to provide a spray of water for flushing the pulverized waste material out through the waste outlet opening 60. An annular disc member 80 overlies the upper surface of the annular flange 68 to seal the annular groove 76 and conduits 78. The annular disc member 80 is secured to the annular flange 68 by means of a plurality of flat headed screws 82 having a shoulder 84 abutting the upper face of the annular disc member 80.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the motor 66 includes a motor flange 86 which is adapted to rest on the annular disc member 80. The motor flange 86 is provided with a plurality of conventional key slots 87 which as can best be seen in FIG. 2 comprise a large circular opening 88 having an inner diameter which is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the flat headed screw 82 and an arcuate slot 90 whose width corresponds to the outer diameter of the shoulder 84 of the fiat headed screw 82. The key slots 87 and the flat headed screw 82 cooperate to define a means for detachably securing the motor 66 to the top of the upper body portion 16. To release the motor 66, the motor 66 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, until the head of the flat headed screw 82 are in registry with the enlarged circular openings 88. Thereafter, the motor 66 may be lifted vertically and be released from the upper body portion 14. Reversing this operation will again secure the motor 66 to the upper body portion 14.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, the motor 66 includes a drive shaft 92 provided with an axially extending, polygonal recess 94. The polygonal recess 94 is herein illustrated having an octagon shape. However, it should be evident that the polygonal recess 94 may have a square cross-section, a hexagonal cross-section, or the like. Extending from both the upper end portion 30 and the lower end portion 28 of the driven shaft 26 are polygonal shaft extensions 96a, 9612, respectively. The polygonal shaft extensions 96a, 961), have a cross-sectional shape which corresponds to the cross-sectional shape of the polygonal recess 94 provided in the drive shaft 92. The recess 94 and the shaft extensions 96a, 96b, comprise coupling means by which the motor 66 may be readily connected to either end of the driven shaft 26. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the upper end portion 30 of the driven shaft 26 is coupled to the drive-shaft 92 of the motor 66 and will be rotated thereby when the motor 66 is energized.

It should be evident at this time, that the elements forming the coupling means may be reversed, that is, a polygonal shaft extension may be provided on the drive shaft 92 while polygonal recesses may be provided in both ends of the driven shaft 26. However, it is preferred that the driven shaft 26 not be provided with polygonal recesses since the upper recess would provide a space wherein food waste would accumulate. The accumulation of food waste would interfere with the introduction of the polygonal shaft extension, and, more important, the trapped food wastes would spoil and be a breeding ground for undesirable bacteria.

The convertible waste disposal unit 10, as illustrated in FIG. 1, will be used as a portable unit. This use is illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein the disposal unit 10 rests in the bowl of a conventional sink 98 having a sink drain opening 100 discharging into a sink drain conduit 102. A hose 104 is connected between a faucet 106 of the sink 98 and the water inlet opening 72, to provide the necessary water for flushing the pulverized wastes out through the waste outlet opening 16 and down the sink drain opening 100'.

In operation, the motor 66 is detached from the casing 12 in the manner described above, and a batch of waste material is introduced into the upper body portion 14. The motor 66 is then attached to the casing 12 and is energized. At the same time, water is permitted to flow through the hose 104 to provide the necessary water sprays for flushing the pulverized waste materials out of the disposal unit 10. i

As stated above, the present disposal unit 10 is convertible from the portable unit which is used as illustrated in FIG. 4, to a permanent installation type unit which is positioned beneath the sink. To accomplish the conversion, the motor 66 is detached from the upper body portion 14 and is repositioned at the bottom of the lower body portion 16 as shown in dotted outline in FIG. 1.

. That is to say, the drive shaft 92 is coupled to the polygonal shaft extension 96b and the motor flange 86 is secured to the mounting bosses 62 by means of a plurality of bolts 108 which are threaded into the bores 64 provided in the mounting bosses 62.

Since the motor 66 has been inverted, the driven shaft 26 will be rotated in a direction which is counter to the direction in which the driven shaft 26 was driven when the motor 66 was installed at the upper body portion 14. Hence, the pulverizing members 52 must be detached from the disc member 50, rotated through about their longitudinal axis, and again secured to the disc member 50 by means of the bolt 54. The reorientation of the pulverizing members 52 is easily accomplished since the pulverizing members are close to the open upper end of the lower body portion 16. That is to say, when the upper body portion 14 is removed, the pulverizing members 52 are close at hand. Alternatively, pulverizing members which are operable in either direction of rotation may be provided to eliminate the reorientation operation described above.

To complete the conversion of the disposal unit 10', a second upper body portion 110, illustrated in FIG. 5, replaces the upper body portion 14 which has previously been removed. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the second upper body portion 110, comprises a fnustoconical body 112, having a lower open end 114 and a reduced upper end 116. The lower open end 114 is circular and corresponds to the circular configuration of the lower body portion 16. The lower open end 114 is provided with ribs 118 corresponding with the ribs 22 of the lower body portion 16. Bolts 120 (only one shown) are provided for securing the second upper body portion 110 to the lower body portion 16-. The lower open end 114 also is provided with an annular groove 122 in which will reside the -ring 24.

The reduced upper end of 116 includes an outwardly extending flange 124 adapted to fit a standard sink mounting fixture for connecting the second upper body portion 110 to the sink drain fixture as will be described. The reduced upper end 116 provides a waste inlet opening 126 through which the waste materials will be introduced into the interior of the second upper body portion 110'.

After the pulverizing members 52 have been reoriented to be operable with the direction of rotation with the driven shaft 26, the second upper body portion 110 is secured to the lower body portion 16 by means of the bolts 120. Thereafter, the reduced upper end 116 is aligned with the sink drain opening 100 and secured thereto by means of a standard mounting fixture 128, as illustrated in FIG. 6. A conventional mounting ring 130 is secured to the lower body portion 116 over the waste outlet opening 60. The mounting ring 130 provides means for coupling the sink drain conduit 102 to the lower body portion 16 in communicating relation with the waste outlet opening 60 (not visible). The conversion of the present disposal unit is now complete.

In operation, the waste materials are introduced through the sink drain opening 100 into the interior of the second upper body portion 110'. The water is caused to flow from the faucet 106 whereupon the motor 66 is energized whereby the waste materials are pulverized and will be flushed out through the sink drain conduit 102 into the sink drain system.

It should be evident from the foregoing description that the present invention provides a convertible waste disposal unit having all the desirable features of a portable unit as well as all of the desuable features of the permanent installation. Furthermore, the present waste disposal unit is easily converted from a portable unit to a permanent installation type unit and vice versa. Therefore, it is no longer necessary for persons to purchase a portable-type disposal unit for use in a rented home or apartment and thereafter purchase a second disposal unit of the permanent installation type which will be used in a home subsequently purchased by these persons.

Although the invention has been shown in connection with one specific embodiment, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that various changes of form and arrangement of parts may be made to suit requirements without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A convertible waste disposal unit comprising: a casing having a waste inlet opening at its top and a waste outlet opening adjacent its bottom; a driven shaft supported centrally within said casing for rotation about its longitudinal axis and having a lower end projecting through the bottom of said casing; shredder means driven by said driven shaft for finely dividing waste material introduced through said waste inlet opening; a motor having a drive shaft; and coupling means at each end of said driven shaft for releasably connecting the drive shaft of said motor to either end of said driven shaft, whereby said waste disposal unit is convertible from a temporary position in a sink wherein said waste outlet opening discharges finely divided waste materials in the sink drain opening of the sink to a permanent position beneath said sink wherein waste materials are introduced through the sink drain opening and said waste inlet opening into the interior of said casing.

2. The waste disposal unit of claim 1 wherein said coupling means comprises a polygonal shaft extension on one of the shafts and a polygonal recess in the end of the other shaft.

3. The waste disposal unit of claim 1 wherein said coupling means comprises a polygonal shaft extension at each end of said driven shaft and a polygonal recess formed in the end of said drive shaft.

4. A convertible waste disposal unit comprising: a casing having an upper body portion including a top waste inlet and a lower body portion including a bottom waste outlet; means for detachably securing said upper body portion to said lower body portion; a driven shaft supported within said lower body portion for rotation about its longitudinal axis, said driven shaft having an upper end residing within said upper body portion and a lower end projecting through the bottom wall of said lower body portion; shredder means in said lower body portion and driven by said driven shaft for finely dividing waste material introduced through said top waste inlet; a motor having a drive shaft; and coupling means at each end of said driven shaft for releasably connecting said drive shaft of said motor to either end of said driven shaft, whereby said waste disposal unit is convertible from a temporary position in the bowl of a sink wherein said bottom waste outlet discharges finely divided waste material into the sink drain opening of the sink to a permanent position beneath the sink wherein said upper body portion is secured to the sink and the waste materials are introduced through the sink drain opening and said top waste inlet into the interior of said waste disposal unit.

5. The disposal unit of claim 4- wherein said upper body portion comprises a cylindrical member having a radially inwardly extending flange adapted to support said motor, and means for detachably securing said motor to said flange.

6. The disposal unit of claim 4 wherein said upper body portion comprises a frustoconical member having an outwardly extending peripheral flange at the top there-of adapted to be secured to the sink drain fixture beneath the sink.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,869,794- 1/1959 Modrey 241l0l 3,033,474 5/1962 GToole 241101 3,159,355 12/1964- Delarnater 241-101 WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Primary Examiner. HARRY F. PEPPER, JR., Examiner. 

1. A CONVERTIBLE WASTE DISPOSAL UNIT COMPRISING: A CASING HAVING A WASTE INLET OPENING AT ITS TOP AND A WASTE OUTLET OPENING ADJACENT ITS BOTTOM; A DRIVEN SHAFT SUPPORT CENTRALLY WITHIN SAID CASING FOR ROTATION ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND HAVING A LOWER END PROJECTING THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF SAID CASING; SHREDDER MEANS DRIVEN BY SAID DRIVEN SHAFT FOR FINELY DIVIDING WASTE MATERIAL INTRODUCED THROUGH SAID WASTE INLET OPENING; A MOTOR HAVING A DRIVE SHAFT; AND COUPLING MEANS AT EACH END OF SAID DRIVEN SHAFT FOR RELEASABLY CONNECTING THE DRIVE 